Medicaid and CHIP Reimbursement Models for Language Services

Executive Summary

Managing Attorney of the DC Office Mara Youdelman examines the responsibilities of state health providers pursuant to civil right laws that require Medicaid and CHIP programs to provide language access services to Limited English Proficient (LEP) persons. Some states are accessing federal funding to help bolster language access services, and Youdelman details those states’ programs and writes that they can serve as “a model for other states interested in accessing federal funds to support their language services programs.” Youdelman notes that comprehensive language access services, such as the use of interpreters “can improve patients’ quality of care, enhance understanding of adherence to medical treatments, and ultimately, decrease health care costs by reducing adverse health care outcomes.”